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Freekeh

Freekeh or farik (Arabic: فريكة / ALA-LC: farīkah; pronounced free-kah /ˈfɹiːkə/) is a cereal food made from green durum wheat (Triticum turgidum var. durum) that is roasted and rubbed to create its flavour. It is an ancient dish derived from Levantine and North African cuisines, remaining popular in many countries of the eastern Mediterranean Basin, where durum wheat originated. The wheat is harvested while the grains are green and the seeds are still soft; it is then piled and sun-dried. The piles are carefully set on fire such that only the straw and chaff burn. Under these conditions, the high moisture content of the seeds prevents them from burning. The roasted wheat is then threshed and sun-dried to achieve a uniform flavour, texture, and colour. This threshing or rubbing process of the grains gives this food its name, farīk or "rubbed". Finally, the seeds are cracked into smaller pieces that resemble green bulgur. Freekeh is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible under the term qalûy (Biblical Hebrew: קָל֤וּי‎, scorched or roasted) or carmel (Biblical Hebrew: כַּרְמֶל‎), indicating it was used in ancient Israelite cuisine. For instance, in the Book of Kings II, it is said that Elisha miraculously fed about a hundred people with some barley bread and carmel. The Syriac version of the Bible translates the term into froka, a cognate of the Arabic freekeh.

Source: Wikipedia

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